Six Sigma For The Non-Manufacturing Sector

The Six Sigma revolution has systematically taken over various sectors of the industry owing to its methodological process variations of working towards achieving targets and eliminating any defects occurring in them throughout the procedure. Since it aims at providing top class service and works towards being a reliable and valuable enterprise for its customers, it has made an entry into areas such as banking, telecommunications, marketing, insurance, healthcare, software and construction.

Range Of 6 Sigma

Earlier the scope of Six Sigma was limited to manufacturing processes, which accounted for only two percent of the United States industry. Nowadays, the non-manufacturing corporations such as IT management, Finance, Human Resource, Sales and services have also realized the need for top quality and are implementing Six Sigma to improve their service value. In most non-manufacturing organizations, quality of the soft processes is banked on heavily for the company's success.

The non-manufacturing course follows the 5S code under 6 Sigma system, which is Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. The company requires classifying various items and then eliminates the ones, which are not related to the process and red tags them. This clears space for a much-required process that needs to be implemented on a daily basis. Secondly, it defines a work path for all individuals, decreasing the wastage of labor and focusing on specified details of the job. Polishing the work skills and worker's knowledge is also focused on to keep the work force updated with the latest developments of the world in fields of science, technology, economics, finance and others.

Need For 6 Sigma In Non-Manufacturing Ground

The non-manufacturing corporations mainly deal with customers, suppliers and clients on a routine basis. It encompasses those soft processes that are the driving force behind the production and distribution of every product and service. The soft processes are human centric and each situation is a unique case hence, it requires scientific application to reduce and manage the variances. This necessitates standardization, as the quantity of automated equipment is less and human resource is greater.

Performance And Efficiency

Efficiency is another factor which demands Six Sigma application. The managers are required to think and formulate utility processes to enhance the working conditions for subordinates thereby extracting optimum work out of them. There would be no point in extracting work from employees unless and until it is efficient to further the productivity, quality and quantity. Six Sigma provides tools that can be implemented to boost labor confidence and motivate them to better performance levels thus increasing not only their advancement but also elevates the company standards in the market.

Practical Aspects Of Implementation

Managing finances is the basic aim of all non-manufacturing concerns. To maintain an organization's status is a difficult job and furthering its stand is a Herculean task. Without adequate finances the company cannot sustain itself and implementing Six Sigma would help in sorting out the accounting needs.

Six Sigma has chances of working wonders for the non-manufacturing sector if the managers and policy makers are more receptive towards changes and new conceptual ideas.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.